2011.12.20

Choral Christmas #6 - Coventry Carol

My next choral favorite is another haunting text that is a lament rather than an uplifting inspiration. Somehow it seems these texts always make for the best musical settings. This is also a very old carol, but you will find modern versions all over the place by artists like Tori Amos and choral groups like Chanticleer.

The text of Coventry Carol is a reference to the massacre of all children under the age of 2, ordered by Herod upon hearing that a great king had been born in Bethlehem. The haunting melody is set effectively by Dale Warland, conductor and arranger, and performed by the Dale Warland Singers on this recording.